Jason Delgado
COVID-19 cases neared a yearly high on Thursday for the second consecutive day in Florida.
Speaking Friday at the Capitol, Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried said Florida reported more than 17,589 new cases and 56 deaths overnight.
The total, derived from numbers reported by the Florida Department of Health to the Centers for Disease Control, marks an increase of more than 1,500 cases within 24 hours, Fried said.
“This is the troubling direction that we’re heading in,” she told reporters.
The COVID-19 briefing — Fried’s third consecutive of the week — came hours after DeSantis held a morning rally against mask mandates in schools.
While Fried encouraged Floridians to mask up and “follow the science,” DeSantis blasted the CDC and preached of parental discretion.
With the words “Free to Choose” emblazoned across a podium, DeSantis in Cape Coral announced plans to issue an executive order forbidding school districts from mandating masks.
“It has harmed students,” DeSantis said to a cheering crowd. “Shouldn’t this be something parents decide?
Fried, however, blasted the move, noting that children appear more susceptible to the highly contagious delta variant of COVID-19.
According to the Florida Department of Health, 6,999 kids below the age of 12 tested positive for COVID-19 last week.
Fried accused DeSantis of “pandering” to a portion of the electorate.
“This Governor should be doing everything possible to stop the spread of the virus and that means showing leadership on these issues, not continuously bringing anti-vax and anti-mask experts around him,” Fried said.
As the statewide elected Democrat and a gubernatorial contender, Fried is among the leading critics of DeSantis’ pandemic response.
In the absence of daily COVID-19 updates in Florida, Fried this week began hosting daily pandemic-oriented briefings.
DeSantis suspended the daily COVID-19 updates in early June.
“The only reason I can even fathom of why we’re not doing them is because they don’t want to recognize our current trajectory of our spike and where the numbers are going,” Fried said Thursday.
9 comments
father lowell laurence
July 30, 2021 at 1:24 pm
pLAYWRIGHT dR lARRY mYERS aFTER VOLUNTEERING AT sURFSIDE mIAMI cONDO cOLLAPSE SITE HAS WRITTEN A PLAY “tOWERS fALL”
HONORING THE LOST SURVIVORS THE FAMILIES & WOKER HEROS
nOW IN sAN FRANCISCO COMPLETING
“tENT cITY pSYCHOMETRY”
ABOUT THE HOMELESS
HE’S BEGUN
:AMBIDEXTERITY: ABOUT VACINATION, cOV ID & THE ZEITGEIST
grey brew
July 30, 2021 at 2:52 pm
As the statewide elected Democrat and a gubernatorial contender, Fried is among the leading critics of DeSantis’ pandemic response.
Ok enough said.
Tom
July 30, 2021 at 3:26 pm
Skewed numbers, compromised by a pandering Zealot. Freak fraud show in full play. Stalker.
Andrew Finn
July 30, 2021 at 4:10 pm
Go get ’em Nikki – Too bad the election isn’t this week. Maybe we could be rid of “Ron the Jackass” sooner !!!! I’m ready to vote for anybody who runs against him, and I mean anybody — where is good old Claude Kirk when you need him ??
Ed
July 30, 2021 at 10:11 pm
Well Nikki probably won’t even be the Democratic nominee for Governor. I guess she could join the “Green Party” and thus could be on the ballot. Nikki’s future is a social media influencer and marijuana harvester.
Derringer Dan
August 2, 2021 at 11:30 am
Obviously you’re not from Florida. I can tell by the childish name calling and “ANYONE who runs against him” attitude. Do Florida a favor and take your liberal way back home. (guessing NY).
Libby
August 1, 2021 at 2:42 pm
Don’t get in elevator with people you don’t know? Who else would be in an elevator? It’s not like I have friends and family that live in elevators???? That makes no sense!
Andrew Finn
August 1, 2021 at 3:06 pm
That makes sense. In Florida we have Emperor DeSantis whose elevator doesn’t even go to the top. Empty space up there on his “top floor” !!!!!!!
Tom
August 1, 2021 at 5:24 pm
Can she count accurately?
Fraud can’t keep her disclosure earnings honest. Probably from the DNC or msndc
How are we supposed to believe this?
She’s Nikki Fraud.
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